Content area
Full text
Abstract: Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial spirit have long been linked with positive changes in the economy of a country, such as increased economic growth, lowered unemployment or improved social conditions. It is of paramount importance to foster entrepreneurship and innovation so as to improve long term results. Universities play a key role in this process, as they find themselves at an important crossroad in their communities and are able to influence the decisions of their students on whether or not they should become entrepreneurs. This article is a case study on the formation of an entrepreneurial hub (UNIHUB) at the Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, with the express purpose to help students in their entrepreneurial endeavours. The paper is focused on the activities from the first year and lessons learned which may be of use for subsequent years or for other academics who might have similar plans.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, hub, student education, academic development
1. Introduction
Entrepreneurs represent one of the main factors which drive economic growth in a country. There have always been and will continue to be certain number of people who are naturally inclined towards taking their lives into their own hands, but there also are ones who require a little bit of help in this endeavour.
Entrepreneurial hubs in academia are a natural development for universities who are interested in improving the number of future entrepreneurs they help shape. These hubs serve two basic purposes. On the one hand, they help shape future entrepreneurs by getting them in touch with others who have already started a company, on the other one, they are able to provide key guidance for start-ups, in the first couple of months at least, when every little bit of information or support is important, if not vital.
Our paper presents a case study concerning the formation of UNIHUB, an entrepreneurial hub at the University of Bucharest, its activities and objectives for the first year. The paper is structured as follows: in the next section we discuss the case of entrepreneurial hubs in academia in general, with an interest in what is their purpose and how do they help best. This is followed up by a presentation of UNIHUB, its activities and results. The paper...